Happiness and Your Overall Health while on a Budget!

Written by Matthew D'Aria
Part of National Nutrition Month 2013

Times can be tough these days for everyone. For one reason or another we are forced to be on a tight budget, in one or many aspects of our lives. Unfortunately, because of these tight budgets we may be missing out on the joys of life; the little nuances that keep us sane and make our hearts fill with joy or for some people, hope. You can still achieve this level of happiness, even on a tight budget, but ultimately, the decision to find happiness lies with you.

Do you like to be outdoors?

Picture by Matthew D'Aria

Try hiking; let Mother Nature distract you from your busy life by soaking up her beauty and calmness.  The National Park Services website has lists of parks and hiking trails in or around your area.

http://www.nps.gov/index.htm

Interested in going out for a night on the town?

Check your town’s website or newspaper of lists of events, most of which are free of charge.

Do you like to cook?

Try “surfing the web” for a recipe that you always wanted to try, wanted to cook for loved ones.  Here are some helpful tips that the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics put out while grocery shopping and on a budget.                                                                                                                              

http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=5493                                 

              

You can also get your child involved in cooking. Margaret Hopkin of Utah State University’s Cooperative Extension has put together some recipes and ideas for getting your children involved.

http://extension.usu.edu/Morgan/files/uploads/Cooking%20with%20children%201.pdf

Remember, these are only a few options to a very long list. It is up to you to take charge of your overall health and happiness…I implore you, at least once a week, to find that one special thing that separates you from your busy life; so that you can find that calm and soothing state of happiness.  You can live happy, feel happy and be happy…even on a budget! Sometimes, it is just as easy as walking out your front door.

Picture by Matthew D'Aria

References

National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior (2013).  National park service.  Retrieved from http://www.nps.gov/index.htm.

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. (2013).  10 tips for eating right-affordably. Retrieved from http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=5493

Hopkin, M. (2008). Cooking with children. Retrieved from http://extension.usu.edu/Morgan/files/uploads/Cooking with children 1.pdf

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Healthy on the Go Options

Written by Brianna Callaghan
Part of National Nutrition Month 2013

We all have those busy days where we don’t get around to cooking and our healthy eating streak goes right out the window. A good way to handle this type of situation is to choose the most health conscious option available to you and not to view it as a set back.

Out of convenience and price fast food is sometimes the most readily available option. But instead of automatically choosing the salad at your favorite fast food chain, you may want to consider how many calories that is actually saving you. Try picking a protein option such as a grilled chicken sandwich and asking for a wheat bun or no bun at all. Asking them to hold the condiments will also save you some calories from fat.

Wendy's Apple Pecan Chicken Salad

 For example, Wendy’s Apple Pecan Chicken Salad contains a whopping 570 calories, 27 grams of fat, and 1340 mg of sodium. When selecting this item the name sounds appetizing and healthy so the actual nutrition content is startling. On the other hand the name of Wendy’s Ultimate Chicken Grill Sandwich doesn’t exactly imply that it is one of the healthier items on the menu. In reality, it contains 400 calories, 10 grams of fat, and 800 mg of sodium including the bun and mustard.  

               

The iPhone has several apps that can be purchased for free in the App Store that make looking up nutrition facts like these quick and easy. My personal favorite is MyFitnessPal, but there are others like Lose It! and the LIVESTRONG app, it is all about your personal preference. 

References

Wendy’s. (2011). Nutrition facts.  Retrieved from http://www.wendys.com/food/Nutrition.jsp.  

Wendy’s.  (2011).  Wendy’s apple pecan chicken salad [Photograph].  Retrieved from http://www.wendys.com/images/product_thumbs/399.png

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